Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) Reaches New 1-Year Low – What’s Next?

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE:WHR) shares reached a new 52-week low on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $40.38 and last traded at $41.3040, with a volume of 3295449 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $41.08.

Key Stories Impacting Whirlpool

Here are the key news stories impacting Whirlpool this week:

• Positive Sentiment: One recent note argues that Whirlpool may have already priced in much of the bad news, suggesting downside could be more limited if expectations are low enough. Whirlpool: Bad News May Finally Be Priced In (Upgrade)
• Neutral Sentiment: Whirlpool is also being discussed in the context of a Russell 1000 index shift, which may affect trading and analyst models but does not by itself change the company’s fundamentals. Is Russell 1000 shift reshaping Whirlpool earnings outlook?
• Neutral Sentiment: A law firm investor alert says it is investigating claims on behalf of Whirlpool shareholders, which adds headline risk but is still only an investigation at this stage. INVESTOR ALERT: Pomerantz Law Firm Investigates Claims On Behalf of Investors of Whirlpool Corporation – WHR
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts are still highlighting concerns after Whirlpool’s weak first-quarter results and cutting price targets, reinforcing worries about demand and earnings pressure. Whirlpool (WHR) price target decreased by 20.06% to 54.89
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary on housing stocks remains weak, and Whirlpool is being lumped in with the broader housing downturn, which can pressure sentiment because the company depends heavily on housing-related spending. Housing stocks are in depression mode. Whirlpool down 81%, Lennar crashed 54% while the S&P 500 soars

Analyst Ratings Changes

WHR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Whirlpool from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Monday. Mizuho began coverage on shares of Whirlpool in a report on Monday, April 20th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $55.00 price target for the company. Weiss Ratings downgraded Whirlpool from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d)” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. BNP Paribas Exane upgraded Whirlpool to a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Zacks Research downgraded Whirlpool from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $68.89.

Whirlpool Trading Up 1.8%

The firm has a market cap of $2.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.46, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 16.58 and a beta of 1.23. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $54.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $69.33. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.48, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 0.88.

Whirlpool (NYSE:WHR) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.56) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.43 by ($0.99). The company had revenue of $3.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.44 billion. Whirlpool had a net margin of 1.08% and a return on equity of 7.68%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 9.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.70 EPS. Whirlpool has set its FY 2026 guidance at 3.000-3.500 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Whirlpool Corporation will post 2.52 EPS for the current year.

Whirlpool Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 27th were paid a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 8.5%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 27th. Whirlpool’s dividend payout ratio is 122.45%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Whirlpool

Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 3.4% during the fourth quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,429,230 shares of the company’s stock worth $175,245,000 after purchasing an additional 80,122 shares during the last quarter. RWWM Inc. lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 191.6% during the first quarter. RWWM Inc. now owns 2,422,618 shares of the company’s stock worth $130,628,000 after purchasing an additional 1,591,849 shares during the last quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 10.2% during the fourth quarter. Newport Trust Company LLC now owns 2,391,252 shares of the company’s stock worth $172,505,000 after purchasing an additional 221,564 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 2.3% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 1,279,044 shares of the company’s stock worth $92,472,000 after purchasing an additional 29,162 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Causeway Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in Whirlpool by 42.3% during the third quarter. Causeway Capital Management LLC now owns 617,039 shares of the company’s stock worth $48,499,000 after purchasing an additional 183,496 shares during the last quarter. 90.78% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Whirlpool Company Profile

Whirlpool Corporation is a leading global manufacturer and marketer of home appliances, with a product portfolio that spans major categories such as laundry, refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing and small electrics. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company designs, produces and distributes its appliances through a network of wholly owned manufacturing facilities, joint ventures and third-party partners. Whirlpool serves both retail and professional markets, offering products under its flagship Whirlpool brand as well as several well-known names including Maytag, KitchenAid, JennAir, Amana, Brastemp and Consul.

In its laundry segment, Whirlpool provides top- and front-load washing machines, dryers and combination units designed to balance energy efficiency, capacity and convenience.